Jackson and Rice officially out Sunday; ALCS Game 4 tonight; Alabama visits Tennessee

What was big this morning

Baltimore RavensMilwaukee BrewersDenver Broncos

The day started with Baltimore settling its quarterback question: Lamar Jackson will sit again on Sunday, and Tyler Huntley gets the start, according to ESPN. Philadelphia had already ruled out Jalen Hurts with a blood clot in his calf. In baseball, the talk was the aftermath of Milwaukee's NLCS sweep of the Dodgers, which ended Los Angeles' bid for a three-peat. And Denver's overtime win over Seattle on Thursday night was still being picked apart, mostly for how little offense either side could muster.

Sources: ESPN (Jamison Hensley); Associated Press recap via ESPN.

ALCS Game 4: Cleveland tries to beat the weather, and Tampa Bay

Cleveland GuardiansTampa Bay RaysShawn Armstrong, Guardians RHP

The Guardians can get within one win of the World Series tonight. Game 4 against Tampa Bay is scheduled for 8 PM ET at Progressive Field on TBS and truTV. Cleveland leads the series 2-1 after Petey Halpin's two-run homer won Game 3, according to ESPN and the Associated Press.

Weather is the question. As of mid-afternoon, no postponement had been announced. The Weather Channel expects a cold, windy night in the low 50s, with gusts blowing in from the outfield and a chance of showers that should not be heavy enough to stop play. ESPN has pointed to a possible dry window around first pitch. Game 5 is set for Saturday night in Cleveland, when the forecast is calmer.

Cleveland plans a bullpen game, opened by right-hander Shawn Armstrong. Tampa Bay sends Nick Martinez to the mound. The winner of the series meets Milwaukee.

Sources: ESPN and Associated Press reporting; ESPN schedule and forecast; Weather Channel; MLB.com.

New Jackson and Rice officially out; quarterbacks around the league in flux

Lamar Jackson, Ravens QBTyler Huntley, Ravens QBRashee Rice, Chiefs WRKansas City Chiefs

Baltimore will be without Lamar Jackson for a second straight week. Coach Jesse Minter announced Friday that Jackson is out for Sunday's 1 PM ET game at Cleveland, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley. Jackson sprained his left ankle on Oct. 4 and did not practice this week. Minter described the decision as a long-term health call. Tyler Huntley starts again for the 4-1 Ravens, who have won his last three fill-in starts.

In Kansas City, the Chiefs ruled out receiver Rashee Rice for Sunday's 4:25 PM ET game against the Chargers with a right hamstring injury, ESPN's Nate Taylor reported. Coach Andy Reid left the door open for a return next week.

Around the league, the Eagles ruled out Jalen Hurts for Sunday's home game against Carolina with a blood clot in his calf, according to ESPN. Atlanta's Michael Penix Jr. has no designation and is cleared to face Chicago after a rib injury. Chicago listed Caleb Williams as questionable with a hamstring injury, so his status for Sunday is still undecided.

Sources: ESPN (Jamison Hensley, Nate Taylor, Marc Raimondi); ESPN injury tracker.

Alabama at Tennessee leads a college football Saturday full of ranked matchups

Alabama Crimson TideTennessee VolunteersKeelon Russell, Alabama QBPurdue Boilermakers

The Third Saturday in October is back at Neyland Stadium. No. 6 Alabama and No. 14 Tennessee, both 5-1, kick off at 3:30 PM ET on ABC. It is the 109th meeting between the schools, according to Tennessee, and Alabama leads the all-time series 61-39-8. Tennessee has won the last two meetings in Knoxville. ESPN's forecast calls for a mostly sunny afternoon around 57 degrees. Our full preview has the rest.

Alabama is coming off a 20-17 loss to Georgia, and the Associated Press says how it responds will shape the SEC race. ESPN's Bill Connelly expects Tennessee's defense to make life hard on Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell. Tennessee's issue has been its passing game: George MacIntyre is expected to start again, and Connelly's view is that better quarterback play would have the Vols unbeaten.

The latest AP poll, released Sunday, has Georgia first, followed by Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State and Indiana, with Alabama sixth and Tennessee 14th. Saturday brings six games between ranked teams, including Ohio State at Indiana at noon ET and Notre Dame at BYU at 7:30 PM ET, two games that involve four of the top eight teams.

Friday night has a Big Ten game too: Washington (3-3) visits Purdue (3-3) at 8 PM ET on Fox. The Huskies have lost three in a row, and Purdue has won two straight. It is Washington's first trip to West Lafayette since 1990, according to the schools.

Sources: ESPN scoreboard and AP Top 25 (via ESPN); Associated Press; University of Tennessee Athletics; ESPN (Bill Connelly); Fox Sports; Purdue and Washington athletics.

Hockey tonight: Penguins at Avalanche, Bruins at Ducks

Sidney Crosby, PenguinsNathan MacKinnon, AvalancheBoston BruinsAnaheim Ducks

Pittsburgh visits Colorado at 9 PM ET in the first meeting of the season, according to ESPN. The Avalanche, 4-2-1, are playing their third game in four nights after splitting a two-game set with Dallas by 3-2 scores, one of them a shootout loss. The Penguins are 3-3-1 after a loss in Chicago in which Sidney Crosby scored his first two goals of the season. Arturs Silovs starts in goal for Pittsburgh, NHL.com reported.

Boston visits Anaheim at 10 PM ET. The Bruins are 5-2 and have won three straight, most recently at San Jose, while the Ducks are 4-2 but thin up front: Troy Terry is out until late November, Ryan Poehling is out six to eight weeks, and Mikael Granlund is day to day, according to the Boston Globe and NHL.com. Anaheim has won five straight in the series. Cutter Gauthier returns and is set to play center for the first time in the NHL, and Michael DiPietro is expected to start in goal for Boston.

Sources: ESPN game preview; NHL.com projected lineups; Boston Globe; ESPN scoreboard.

NBA preseason wraps up with a full slate

Portland Trail BlazersGolden State Warriors

Twelve preseason games close out the exhibition schedule tonight, with the first tip at 7 PM ET. Portland visits Golden State in the late game at 10 PM ET, and Denver is at the Lakers at 10:30 PM on ESPN, according to ESPN's schedule. Exhibition rosters can change late, so check each team's injury report before tip.

Source: ESPN schedule.

Brewers rest and wait for a World Series opponent

Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee has a full week off after sweeping the Dodgers in the NLCS for its first National League pennant. The World Series opens Friday, Oct. 23, at American Family Field against Cleveland or Tampa Bay, whichever wins the ALCS, according to MLB.com.

Sources: MLB.com; ESPN.

The Dodgers' run is over, and the questions are just starting

Los Angeles DodgersMilwaukee Brewers

A day after Milwaukee finished its NLCS sweep, the picture in Los Angeles is one of closure more than regret. ESPN's Alden Gonzalez described a clubhouse that felt it had simply been outplayed, with manager Dave Roberts saying as much after the 6-4 loss in Game 4.

Veteran Miguel Rojas told teammates he is retiring, and Tarik Skubal deflected questions about his free agency. The bigger uncertainty is league-wide: ESPN reported that a possible lockout, and the owners' push for a salary cap, leaves open when the Dodgers will reassemble and what spending limits they might face.

Sources: ESPN (Alden Gonzalez); ESPN game recap.

Chiefs host winless Chargers without Rice; Ravens go to Cleveland without Jackson

Kansas City ChiefsLos Angeles ChargersBaltimore RavensCleveland Browns

Kansas City (4-0) hosts Los Angeles (0-5) at Arrowhead at 4:25 PM ET on CBS. The Chiefs will be without Rice, as ESPN reported. ESPN's forecast calls for a sunny afternoon around 64 degrees.

Baltimore (4-1) is at Cleveland (3-2) at 1 PM ET on Fox with Huntley at quarterback. Also at 1 PM, Atlanta hosts Chicago with Williams' status unsettled, and Philadelphia, minus Hurts, hosts Carolina. Houston and Jacksonville open the day at Wembley Stadium in London at 9:30 AM ET on NFL Network. Buffalo visits Las Vegas at 4:25 PM, and Dallas goes to Green Bay on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 PM on NBC.

Sources: ESPN scoreboard and schedule; ESPN (Nate Taylor).

Four stories driving Friday's conversation

Philadelphia PhilliesOklahoma City ThunderFlorida PanthersLos Angeles Lakers

Philadelphia put Trea Turner on notice. Phillies president Dave Dombrowski said Thursday that the shortstop's defense must improve after a season in which he committed a league-worst 21 errors at the position, according to ESPN. Turner is expected to start 2027 at shortstop, but if he plays it the way he did in 2026, Dombrowski said, the team could move him to the outfield, a switch Turner would prefer to avoid.

Oklahoma City rookie Aday Mara has an eligibility fight on his hands. The Spanish club Basket Zaragoza said Friday that Mara is still under contract with it for the 2026-27 season and that it would formally oppose any international transfer request, ESPN reported. The Thunder, who drafted him 12th overall, say the NBA has advised that no clearance is needed because Mara played three seasons of NCAA basketball.

Brady Tkachuk keeps scoring in threes. He recorded his second straight natural hat trick on Thursday night, tying the game with 13 seconds left in regulation and winning it 2:23 into overtime as Florida beat Vancouver 3-2, according to the NHL and the Associated Press. The Canucks have lost six in a row.

The Buss family fight over the Lakers is not over. Five of Jeanie Buss' siblings filed a formal opposition this week to her petition to block the sale of the family trust's remaining 17.82% stake, and lawyers for two of them asked a Los Angeles judge Friday to dismiss it, according to ESPN and the Los Angeles Times. The sale of the team itself can move forward either way.

Sources: ESPN (Phillies, Thunder and Lakers reporting); Associated Press; NHL.com; Los Angeles Times.

The weekend at a glance

Sources: ESPN scoreboard and schedules; MLB.com.